Watercraft and transport therefor

ABSTRACT

A watercraft employing movable pontoons to provide a buoyancy support for a deck structure thereabove. The pontoons are movable between inboard depending and laterally outward extending positions. Deck sides, hinged to the deck structure, are rotatable upward to reduce the overall deck width of the watercraft to be within legal highway use limits. The hinged sides are rotated downward into a horizontal attitude with the deck structure, to provide deck extensions when the watercraft is used in water. A wheeled transport vehicle receives the watercraft while it is floating, and elevates it to allow the pontoons to be moved.

United States Patent [191 Nelson et a1.

1 Apr. 9, 1974 WATERCRAFT AND TRANSPORT THEREFOR [76] Inventors: James M. Nelson, Montclair Dr.;

Clayton T. Odegaard, Rt. 3, both of Kalispell, Mont. 59901 [22] Filed: Jan. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 214,576

[52] US. Cl. 9/1 T, 214/512, 280/414 R [51] Int. Cl. B63c 13/00 [58] Field of Search 9/1 R, 1 T, 6; 114/61, 114/66.5 F, 66.5 P, 5 F; 280/414; 214/512, 1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Allen 9/1 T Schuler 114/61 X Rosenow 214/512 Primary Examiner-George E. A. Halvosa Assistant Examiner-Edward R. Kazenske ABSTRACT A watercraft employing movable pontoons to provide a buoyancy support for a deck structure thereabove. The pontoons are movable between inboard depending and laterally outward extending positions. Deck sides, hinged to the deck structure, are rotatable upward to reduce the overall deck width of the watercraft to be within legal highway use limits. The hinged sides are rotated downward into a horizontal attitude with the deck structure, to provide deck extensions when the watercraft is used in water.

A wheeled transport vehicle receives the watercraft while it is floating, and elevates it to allow the pontoons to be moved.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Pmmmm 9:914 3002.006 saw 1- or 2 FIG I PATENTEUAPR 91974 sum 2 BF 2 FIG 4 WATERCRAFT AND TRANSPORT THEREFOR BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to pontoon type watercraft and a transport vehicle for use therewith.

2. Prior Art Pontoon type pleasure craft have been used and enjoyed by leisure craft enthusiasts for a number of years. Such crafts are usually used as fishing or swimming platforms in lakes or ponds, and in some cases, depending on the crafts design and engines, are capable of rapid movement across water. The pontoons of a pontoon type craft are normally fixed to a deck structure and frequently protrude to give watercraft width dimensions wider than those allowed to be transported on the public highways without first obtaining a special permit. Such craft have generally not been transportable by rail, and therefore have been difficult and very expensive to transport from location to location. Therefore, once launched, a pontoon type watercraft has tended to be rather permanently located on a particular body of water. To the best of our knowledge, no attempts have been made in the past to provide a pontoon type watercraft arranged such that its width dimensions can be reduced so that it can be legally transported over public roads. Also, there has not heretofore been available a transport vehicle for loading, transporting and unloading such a watercraft having dual positioned pontoons.

While some patents, such as US. Pat. Nos. 3,139,058, 2,876,738 and 3,308,782, disclose movable pontoon structures that change'the degree of stability in water of a pontoon type watercraft, these patents do not teach the movable pontoon structures of the present invention nor do they suggest pontoon movement for the purpose of watercraft width reduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide a pontoon type watercraft that is very stable in water and that can be transported over the public highways in combination with a specially constructed watercraft transport vehicle.

Another object is to provide movable pontoon structures for the watercraft that are arranged to be movable between an inboard depending position, for highway travel, and a laterally outboard extending position, for operating on water.

Another object is to provide hinged deck sides which form extensions of a deck structure when the pontoons are outboard, but that are rotated to a vertical attitude when the pontoons are moved inboard. 1 Still other objects'are to providea watercraft transport vehicle to which the watercraft can be attached while it is in water and that will lift the watercraft from the water so that the pontoon structures and deck sides can be moved to reduce the watercraft width and that will then lower the watercraft until the pontoons rest on the transport vehicle, or that will, in reverse operation, raise the watercraft as the pontoon structures are moved outboard and that will then lower the watercraft into floating position on a body of water.

Principal features of the present invention include a pontoon type watercraft having pontoon structures pivotally connected to a watercraft frame. The pontoon structures are arranged to be rigidly secured in either a laterally outboard extending position, where they will fully support the watercraft in water in a stable manner, or in an inboard depending position, such that the width of the craft is reduced so that it can be readily transported over highways on a transport vehicle.

The pontoon structures consist of two hollow cylindrical pontoons, each of which has mounting arms projecting outwardly therefrom to fit within sleeves pivotally connected to the deck structure. Aligned holes are formed in the deck structure and inpivotally connected sleeves to accommodate pins fitted therethrough whereby the pontoonstructures are locked in either their laterally outboard extending or inboard depending positions. Pulling on an arrangement of cables releasably connected to the pontoons will rotate the pontoon structures between their extreme positions The watercraft further includes hinged deck sides that can be rigidly maintained in a horizontal attitude where they form continuations of the watercraft deck, or that can be rotated to and maintained in a vertical attitude, whereby overall width ofthe watercraft-is reduced. 1

A wheeled transport vehicle is especially constructed to position the watercraft for rotation of the pontoon structures to load, to launch, and to transport the wa tercraft. The transport vehicle incorporates a hinged rack swivel-mounted tothe bed of the transport vehicle, in combination with a winch. The winch is mounted such that as a cable, connected between the winch drum and therack is reeled in or out, the rack is raised or lowered.

The transport vehicle is adapted to be positioned beneath the watercraft when the craft is floating and brackets on the bottom of the watercraft are connected to appropriate couplings on a brace member of the transport vehicle frame. As the winch pulls the rack and watercraft forward, saddle arrangements connected to posts pivotally mounted on the watercraft frame are moved into contact with mountings on the bottom of the watercraft. As pivoting of the posts continues, the watercraft is lifted above the transport vehicle frame. The vehicle and watercraft thereon can then be moved out of the water. The pontoon structure and deck sections on the watercraft are moved to reduce the overall width of the craft and the watercraft is lowered until the pontoons rest on cradles formed on top of the transport vehicle bed.

Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being best modes of the invention.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the deck,-frame, and pontoon structures of the pontoon type watercraft of the invention;

FIG. 2, a front view of the watercraft with the vertical attitude positions of the deck sides and the inboard depending position of the pontoons shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 3, an enlarged view taken within the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing the deck side forming a continuation of the deck structure, one embodiment of means pivotally mounting the pontoon structures to the deck structure, and partially broken away to show a typical locking arrangement between the deck sides and the deck structure;

FIG. 4, a side elevation of the transport vehicle adapted to be positioned beneath the watercraft;

FIG. 5, a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6, a fragmentary, enlarged, side elevation view showing connection means used to join the watercraft to the transport vehicle;

FIG. 7, a fragmentary side elevation view of a typical pontoon swivel mounting connection; and

FIG. 8, a vertical section taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7, showing the watercraft frame and pontoon swivel mounting locked together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the watercraft 10 consists of a frame structure 11, made from interconnected lightweight box members, and pontoon structures, shown generally at 12, that are rotatably mounted to frame 11. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, round tubular members can be used in the construction of the frame 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in place of the box members shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A deck 13, FIG. 2, mounted on frame structure 11 has deck sides 14 and 15 hinged at its sides by pins 16a, 16b, respectively fitted through appropriate aligned hinge collars formed on the deck sides and frame structure. Deck sides 14 and 15 rotate between a position forming extensions of the surface of deck structure 13, upward, to a position extending vertical with respect to the horizontal deck structure. The deck sides 14 and 15 are maintained in their deck extension positions by pins 17 inserted through appropriate holes, shown typically in FIG. 3, as provided in the deck side 14, at 18, and in the end of frame structure 11, at 19. The mounting and locking arrangements of the pontoon structures 12 and deck sides 14 and 15 with respect to the deck structure 13 are identical.

A pulley 20 is incorporated within each of the deck sides 14 and 15 and a cable 21, having one end connected to a pontoon 22 of one of the pontoon structures I2 is passed over each pulley.

The watercraft 10 has a pair of the pontoon structures 12, each consisting of two arms 23, that project up from a pontoon 22. Each arm 23 is telescoped into a sleeve 24 that is hinged by pin 25 to the side of frame structure 11. Each pin 25 has the usual enlarged head at one end and a cotter pin 25a is inserted through a hole in its other end to maintain the pin within appropriate holes formed in the sleeve 24 and frame structure 11. Arm 23 is secured within sleeve 24 by the insertion of a pin 26 through holes formed through the sides of both the sleeve 24 and arm 23. As shown best in FIG. 3, arm 23 has a plurality of holes 23a formed therethrough and sleeve 24 has a single hole 240 formed through it. Holes 23a are arranged to be selectively aligned with oppositely positioned hole 24a, with pin 26 inserted therethrough to maintain the alignment selected. The height of the frame structure 11 above pontoons 22 can therefor be varied by the selective alignment of holes 230 with hole 24a.

The pontoon structures are movable between the laterally outboard extending positions shown in solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 3 and inboard depending positions shown in dotted lines. The laterally outward extending position of each pontoon structure 12 is maintained by a pin 27 that is fitted through aligned holes in the end of the sleeve 24 of the pontoon structure and the frame structure 11. Pin 27 also has the usual enlarged head at one end and a cotter pin 27a is fitted through its other end to hold the pin 27 in place. Pins 25 and 27 secure the sleeves 24 to the frame structure 11 when the pontoon structures are in their laterally outboard extending positions.

When an inward rotation of a pontoon structure 12 to an inboard depending position is desired, its pin 27 is removed from the holes 16 and the sleeve 24 and frame structure 11 and the pontoon structure are swung inward as will be hereinafter further disclosed. A flange 28, having a hole 28a formed through it, projects from each sleeve 24, and is arranged to extend alongside a positioning stop and brace 30 that extends downwardly from the frame structure 1 l. Brace 30 has a hole 30a therethrough and the hole 30a is arranged to align with hole 28a when flange 28 is alongside and sleeve 24 is in engagement with brace 30. A pin 29, similar to the pins 25 and 27, can then be inserted through the hole 28a and 30a to hold the pontoon structure in an inboard depending position.

As viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, each cable 21 is attached through a hook 31 on its one end to a ring 32 mounted to the top of pontoon 22, and passes over the pulley 20, as previously noted, and a swivel mounted pulley 34. As so arranged, cables 21 provide a means for pulling the attached pontoon structures 12 upward, as shown by the solid lines in FIGS. 2 and 3, to where it is in a laterally outward extending position and such that pins 27 can be inserted to lock them in those positions. Alternatively, when cables 21 and hooks 31 are removed from pulley 20 and hooks 31 are attached to rings 33 that also project upward from pontoons 22, cables 21, when pulled through pulleys 34, will swing the pontoon structures 12 inward and upward to the inboard depending positions, shown in dotted lines. A loop 21a is included on the end of each cable 21 opposite to its hook 31 to serve as a means for attaching a pulling means such as a motor and winch, not shown, to the cable 21.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the frame structure of watercraft 10 can alternatively be constructed of round tubular material. A sleeve 36, corresponding to the sleeve 24 previously described, projects from another sleeve 37 that is telescoped over a portion of a watercraft tubular frame structure 35. Sleeve 37 is free to rotate on frame structure 35, but stops 35a and 35b, which extend from the frame structure 35, prevent longitudinal sliding of the sleeve 37.

A shoulder 37a formed at one end of sleeve 37 is arranged to engage stop 35a to limit the rotation of pontoon swivel 37 around tubular frame structure 35.

The pontoon structure attached to each sleeve 37 is maintained in an inboard depending position relative to the frame structure 35 by a pin 38 extending through aligned holes 39a and 39b in the pontoon swivel 37 and through corresponding holes 400 and 40b in the frame structure 35. Each pontoon structure is rotated to a laterally outboard extending position by withdrawing its pin 38 from the holes 39a,.39b, 40a and 40b and rotating it outwardly until shoulder 37a contacts 35a. Holes 39a and 39b are then aligned with holes 41a and 41b in frame structure 35, and pin 38 can be inserted therethrough. A hole 380 is provided in the end of pin 38 opposite the enlarged pin head to receive a cotter pin so that the pin 38 will be held in place.

While not shown again in detail, cables can be employed to move the pontoon structures and to facilitate the removal and reinstallation of pin 38 through holes 39a, 39b, 40a, 40b, 41a and 41b to maintain the pontoon structures in either of their two positions in the same manner as such cables are used in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3.

The movement of the pontoon structures is preferably coordinated with rotational movement of deck sides 14 and 15. Thus, when the pontoon structures are rotated to their inboard depending positions, the deck sides are rotated to a vertical attitude with respect to the deck structure. It should be understood that movement of the pontoon structures 12 is normally undertaken only when the watercraft is positioned on a transport vehicle and such structures are not supporting the watercraft and are therefore freely movable about their pivot mountings.

The transport vehicle, shown in FIGS. 4-6, is especially constructed for use with the watercraft 10. The vehicle 45, consists of an elongate frame 46, that has spaced transverse axles 47. Axles 47 have the usual rotatably mounted wheels 48 on their opposite ends and pneumatic tires 49 are mounted on the wheels. A conventional trailer hitch coupling 50 provides a means for connecting the front end of the transport vehicle to a ball connector 51 securely mounted on a towing vehicle, not shown.

The transport vehicle 45 includes a rack arrangement 52, that is rotatably mounted on the frame 46. The rack 52 consists of a number of vertical posts 53 each having one end pivotally mounted at 46a between stringers of frame 46. A pair of braces 54, pivotally interconnect the post 53, and a winch 55 is secured to an upstanding mounting post 55a on the front of frame 46. A cable 56 extends from winch 55, over a pulley 57 rotatably mounted to the nearest post 53', and is anchored to the winch mounting post at 58. When the cable 56 is reeled in by winch 55, the posts 53, connected together by braces 54, are rotated upward and the cable holds them in their raised position. An adjustment means 59, limits the extent of downward rotation of the rack 52, and an upstanding block 60, projecting upward from stringers of the frame 46 limits rotation of the front post 53 past a vertical attitude.

Adjustment means 59 consists of a bracket 59a, fixed to mounting post 55a and a long bolt 59b projecting therefrom and through an enlarged hole that will permit rotation into a bracket-extension 590 of the braces 54. A locking nut 59d is threaded onto the end of bolt 59b to act as a stop against which the end 5% of the bracket extension abuts during downward rotation of the posts. The position of nut 59d on the bolt 59b thus determines the extent of rotation permitted.

Cross arms 61 are fixed to and extend normal to the tops of posts 53, transverse to the frame 46. Flared guides 62 are provided at the opposite ends of arms 61 and a saddle 63 is formed between each guide 62 and the central body of cross arm 61 for seating a positioning or locking member projecting from the undersurface of the watercraft frame structure 11.

As shown best in FIG. 6, docking jaws 64 are mounted to the front of the watercraft frame structure I] to engage the saddles 63 of the front cross arm 61. The docking jaws 64 straddle the saddles 63, being guided into place by angled lips 65a and 65b of jaws 64. The openings of the jaws accommodate saddles 63 but are smaller than discs 62, to prohibit lateral movement of cross arms 61 out of the docking jaw 64. Lips 66a and 66b project outwardly from each docking jaw 64 and have holes 67a and 67b extending through them. A pin 68, FIG. 6, is inserted through the holes 67a and 67b to secure saddle 63 within the docking jaw 64 and a cotter pin 68a is fitted through an appropriate hole in the small end of pin 68 to hold the pin in place. Pin 68 thus provides a locking means for holding the cross arm 61 and the watercraft 10 in coupled relationship. When the docking jaws move onto their saddles 63, notched plates 69 come to rest on the saddles 63 of the other cross arms 61. The docking jaws 64 position the watercraft 10 on the transport vehicle 45 and form a secure connection so that as winch 55 is operated, the rack 52 pivots upwardly to lift the watercraft out of the water and above the transport vehicle. While so suspended, the pontoon structures 12 are rotated inwardly and secured in their inboard depending position. Winch 55 is then operated to unwind cable 56 such that the rack 52 is lowered to position the pontoons 22 on pontoon cradles 70a and 70b on the transport vehicle 45. A safety cable can then be connected from the mounting rings 32 and 33 on each pontoon 22 through holes 71a and 71b in ears 72a and 72b formed on the cradles 69a and 69b. The safety cable thus provides an additional locking means to secure the watercraft 10 to the transport vehicle 45.

In placing the watercraft in water, a reverse procedure is followed. The transport vehicle is moved into the water, the safety cables are removed, and the winch is operated to raise rack 52 and the watercraft 10. The pontoon apparatus are all released and cables 21 are operated to swing the pontoons outboard where they are locked in place. The rack 52 is then lowered until the watercraft is floating and the units are fully separated.

Although a preferred form of our invention has been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention.

We claim:

1. A vehicle combination comprising a watercraft having a frame,

a deck mounted on the frame,

pivot means fixed with respect to said frame and said deck,

pontoon structures carrying pontoons pivotally attached at said pivot means to opposite sides of said frame,

means for pivotally moving said pontoons between a first extreme position outboard of the frame and a second extreme position inboard and beneath the frame,

means for locking said pontoons in their extreme positions relative to said frame,

connecting means beneath the said watercraft for connecting it to a transport vehicle;

a wheeled transport vehicle having a vehicle frame a rack, including parallel posts that are pivotally mounted at one of their ends to the frame of said wheeled transport vehicle,

their extreme inboard positions rest on the vehicle frame; and saddle mounts on the v'ehicleframe to receive pontoons of the watercraft thereon.

2.- A vehicle, combination as in claim 1, further ineluding means for releasably anchoring the pontoons to the saddle mounts. I

3. A vehicle combination as in claim 2, wherein the connecting means beneath the watercraft, for connecting it to a transport vehicle is between the pontoons of the watercraft; and

the rack is positioned centrally of the wheeled transport vehicle, with portions of the vehicle frame extending outboard thereof. 

1. A vehicle combination comprising a watercraft having a frame, a deck mounted on the frame, pivot means fixed with respect to said frame and said deck, pontoon structures carrying pontoons pivotally attached at said pivot means to opposite sides of said frame, means for pivotally moving said pontoons between a first extreme position outboard of the frame and a second extreme position inboard and beneath the frame, means for locking said pontoons in their extreme positions relative to said frame, connecting means beneath the said watercraft for connecting it to a transport vehicle; a wheeled transport vehicle having a vehicle frame a rack, including parallel posts that are pivotally mounted at one of their ends to the frame of said wheeled transport vehicle, means coupling said posts for simultaneous pivoting movement, means on the posts for engaging the connecting means beneath the watercraft, means for pivoting said posts between an upright position where the pontoons of the watercraft are freely pivotable between their extreme positions and a lowered position where said pontoons, in their extreme inboard positions rest on the vehicle frame; and saddle mounts on the vehicle frame to receive pontoons of the watercraft thereon.
 2. A vehicle combination as in claim 1, further including means for releasably anchoring the pontoons to the saddle mounts.
 3. A vehicle combination as in claim 2, wherein the connecting means beneath the watercraft, for connecting it to a transport vehicle is between the pontoons of the watercraft; and the rack is positioned centrally of the wheeled transport vehicle, with portions of the vehicle frame extending outboard thereof. 